studied
1970-73
California College of Arts and Crafts, Oakland.
1970-71
University of California, Berkeley
1969-70
Temple University, Philadelphia
apprenticed
1973-74
H. Wayne Eley, Associates, Hand Bookbinders, New Haven, Connecticut.
1973
Henry Brooks, Ltd., Hand Bookbinders, Oxford, England
1971-72
Capricornus School of Hand Bookbinding and Restoration, Berkeley,
California.
selected awards +
honors
2014
Simon Toparovsky: Vessels and Channels, sponsorship of the exhibition
reception awarded by the Patrons of the Arts of the Vatican Museums.
2011
La Colonna Infame, exhibition sponsorship awarded by the Minister of Culture
of the Republic of Italy, Rome; the Minister of Culture for the Federation of Russia,
Moscow; the Consul General of Italy in St. Petersburg, Russia; Consuls General
of the Embassies of the United States and Italy in Lithuania; and the Minister for
Culture of the Province of Milan.
2003
La Costituzione Americana, exhibition sponsorship awarded by the Consul General
of the United States, U.S. Mission to Italy; Council for Culture of the City of Milano
and the Council for Museums and Exhibitions, the City of Milano.
2000
Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral, commission to design
and produce the main altar crucifix; life-size, cast bronze and wood.
1994+95
Arts/Industry residency at Kohler Co., Kohler, Wisconsin, a program of the John Michael
Kohler Arts Center with major funding from Kohler Co. and the National Endowment for the Arts
1991
Art in America 91/92 Guide, public installation, commisioned by the City
of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department, La Reina de Los Angeles
selected for “1990 in Review: Public Art.”
1990
1985
Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum of the Smithsonian Institution-
special designation, “Tikal Codex: first book as art in the permanent
collection of artists’ books”.
1980+83
National Endowment for the Arts, Visual Artists Fellowships.
1977-82
National Endowment for the Arts, Master Craftsman Apprenticeship
Grants, Center for Book Arts, New York City.
1980
American Art Library Award, best library exhibition catalog design
1979, for Adelphi University exhibition catalog: Hand Bookbinding: the
Art and Craft.
selected public art
2023
Co-Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist, Rochester, Minnesota. Transitus, Jacquard tapestry installation, sanctuary entrance Gathering Space.
2017
Co-Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist, Rochester, Minnesota. John and Mary’s Home, permanent shrine, main sanctuary.
2012
Millennium Park, wall panel installations, in collaboration
with MacLeod Reckord Landscape Architects, Seattle, Washington,
commissioned by the Lake Oswego Foundation for the Arts and the Arts
Council of the City of Lake Oswego, Oregon.
2003
Creative Council, Milano, Italy
1995
University of Southern California, School of Medicine, Los Angeles.
1994
Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles, Percent for Art Program, City of
Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department
1990
Otis Art Institute, City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Commission
selected consulting + commissions
2007-
Hortus Conclusus, exterior design, furniture and furnishings with architect Andrea Croce, Milano. www.hortusconclusus.biz
2000-
Randy Franks Studio, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara
2000
Steven Ehrlich Architects, Los Angeles, sculpture garden/water
installations, Koffler residence.
2000-
Peter Becker, Architect, Santa Barbara
1999
Andromeda International, Murano, Italy, blown glass lighting design
1998-99
MacLeod Reckord Landscape Architects, Seattle, Millennium Park,
Lake Oswego, Oregon.
1996
Mason Phelps Collection, Icarus Garden, La Jolla, California.
1989
Koning Eisenberg Architecture, Los Angeles.
1988
Michael Jackson, Los Angeles.
1987
Phillbrook Museum, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
1986
Jean Brown Collection, J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu.
1985-87
Sam Francis, Lapis Press, Santa Monica, California.
1984
J. Paul Getty Museum, Illuminated Manuscript Department, Malibu.
1983-84
Women’s Building, Women’s Graphic Center, Los Angeles.
1982-83
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Program Development, Virginia.
1982-83
Nexus Press, Hand Bookbinding for Artists Program, Atlanta.
1982
National Endowment for the Arts, site evaluator for artists’
organization grants.
1981
Center for Editions and the Art of the Book, State University of New
York, Purchase.
1980
Michael Singer, Sperone Westwater Fisher, New York City
1980
Metropolitan Opera Company, New York City.
1975
Larry Rivers and Tatyana Grosman, Universal Limited Art Editions,
West Islip, New York.
selected publications + posts
2016
The Spirit Blooms, Getty Inspired: Simon Toparovsky, a profile video
in the series #Getty Inspired, celebrating creative Angelenos. For the Getty Library Archive. Posted on the Getty website.
2014
2014
“A Jewish Artist Whose Work Is at Heart of Our Lady Cathedral”, profile
by Evan Henerson for the Jewish Journal on installations at Simon
Toparovsky: Vessels and Channels
2014
“A Visual Poet”, profile/interview by managing editor of the Liguorian
Journal, Elizabeth Herzing, with Simon Toparovsky, on creating the
work for Simon Toparovsky: Vessels and Channels
2011
La Colonna Infame, Ariel Soulé and Simon Toparovsky, exhibition
catalog, the Museum of Contemporary Art, St. Petersburg,
Russia. Essays by Mikhail Ovchinnikov, director and Svetlana
Darsalia. Russian, Italian, English with installation photographs.
2010
Ariel Soule and Simon Toparovsky: A Letter from the Renaissance,
the Double Soul, booklet for the UCLA exhibition. In collaboration
with Horn Press/UCLA. Johanna Drucker: letterpress printed covers
on mold-made paper, text on paper and vellum, hand-sewn, edition
of 300. Essay by Gianni Donatelli.
2008
COMBOS, Soulé+Toparovsky, catalog for the exhibition, Palazzo
Zamara, Franco Rossi Gallery, Palazzolo sull’Oglio, Brescia, Italy.
Creative Council /Agema Publications, Milan.
2007
“Religio and Los Angeles’s Crucifix: an interview with Simon
Toparovsky”, by art historian Damon Willick, on the Cathedral
Crucifix and contemporary art. Images and critical essay for Spiritus
Journal, The Johns Hopkins University Press.
2007
Qui, del Dicibile, catalogs for the exhibition, installation in Chiesa
Santa Maria Incoronata, Naples, Italy. Essays by art critic Tommaso
Trini, Milano and art historian Damon Willick, Los Angeles.
2003
La Costituzione Americana, catalog for a work in four hands,
sculpture and painting installation with Ariel Soulé, Chiesa di S. Paolo
Converso, Milano, Italy. Essays and poetry.
2003
Ex Occidente Lux, brochure for first solo exhibition in Italy, at
Franco Rossi Gallery, Palazzolo sull’Oglio, Brescia. Essay by art
critic, Eugenio Schatz, Milano.
1990
Leaning Toward Light, catalog celebrating the unveiling of La
Reina de Los Angeles and concurrent solo exhibition at
Otis/Parsons North Gallery. Foreword by Dean Roger Workman and
essay by Eudorah M. Moore.
1981
Fine Print Magazine, San Francisco, California, “Featured Bookwork:
Beaubourg Book”, explaining collaborative work through the Artist’s
Book Consulting Service.
1979
Hand Bookbinding: the Art and Craft, catalog of the Adelphi
University exhibition, technical and historical perspectives, Adelphi
University Press.
selected lectures + workshops
2014-15
“A Singular Devotion, Two Artists, Four Centuries”. A program of tours:
Peter Paul Rubens and Simon Toparovsky/Spectacular Rubens, Getty Center exhibition
and Simon Toparovsky: Vessels and Channels, Los Angeles Cathedral side chapels,
2010
Getty Museum/UCLA Focus Tours—a program organized to
contextualize the Soulé and Toparovsky contemporary
installation A Letter from the Renaissance with historically important
works in the Getty Collection.
2009
Pepperdine University, Art History Series. “Imagining Making Jesus”
2008
Getty Center, a presentation: “Imagining Making Jesus”
(Toparovsky) for “Imagining Christ: Intersections of Art and
Theology”, a panel discussion moderated by Professor Jack Miles,
Harold M. Williams Auditorium, Getty Center, Los Angeles.
2004
American Art Libraries Society, Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels,
“Making the Crucifix”, Los Angeles.
2003
The Costume Council of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
1998
American Association of Museums, Los Angeles.
1996
Art Center College of Design, Pasadena.
1995
Southern California Institute of Architecture (Sci-Arc), Los Angeles.
1994-95
John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan , Wisconsin.
1994
Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design.
1991
Yale University, School of Art, Graduate Studies Program in Design, New Haven.
1986-95
Scripps College, Claremont Graduate School, California.
1984-86
University of California, Los Angeles, Design Department.
1984-92
Otis Art Institute of Parsons School of Design, Los Angeles.
1984
Long Beach Museum, California.
1984
Memphis College of Art, Tennessee.
1983-84
Women’s Graphic Center, Los Angeles.
1983-84
Nexus Press, Atlanta
1983
State Department of Education, Richmond, Virginia.
1982
University of Alaska, Anchorage.
1982
Alaska Association for the Arts, Fairbanks.
1982
Los Angeles County Museum.
1982+84
Visual Arts Center of Alaska, Anchorage.
1982
Bookworks: 1982, Moore College of Art, Philadelphia.
1982
Georgia Council on the Arts, Atlanta.
1982-84
Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore.
1981-82
Virginia Museum, artist-in-residence, Richmond.
1981-85
Richmond Printmaking Workshop, Virginia.
1979
Designer Bookbinders, London, England.
1979
Adelphi University, Fine Arts Library, Garden City, New York.
1979
Temple University, Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia.
1976-81
Center for Book Arts, New York City.
videos
2007
For Qui, del Dicibile, Chiesa Santa Maria Incoronata, film produced
by Randall Boyd, Terra Firma Productions, Los Angeles; camera
by Leonardo Extra, Laura and Luigi Rotondo, Rome; camera,
Federica Savarese, Napoli; original music, Giovanni Rotondo, Los
Angeles/Napoli (on YouTube)
2007
Qui, del Dicibile, an original film by Nicolangelo Gelormini,
sponsored by the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, Rome (on
StreamIT)
2005
For La Costituzione Americana, filmed and edited by Alejandro
Lightowler Stalberg, produced by Randall Boyd, Terra Firma
Production (on YouTube).
teaching
1988-91
University of California, Los Angeles, College of Art, visiting
professor.
1984-92
Otis Art Institute of Parsons School of Design, Los Angeles, co-
founder Laboratory Press.
1981-83
1976-81
Center for Book Arts, faculty director for the apprenticeship program,
New York City.
public + museum exhibitions
2015-16
Simon Toparovsky: Artists Series, invitational inaugural exhibition at photo la, the 24th annual international Los Angeles Photographic Arts Exposition. Artworks installations.
2015
Experience 19. Touch. Jim McHugh Artists Portraits. Forty years of art-making in Los Angeles. Invitational art installation. El Segundo Museum of Art, curator, Edward Goldman.
2014-15
Simon Toparovsky: Vessels and Channels, artwork and installations, Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral, Los Angeles (solo).
2014
La Colonna Infame, Ariel Soulé and Simon Toparovsky, Jonas Mekas Center for Visual Art, Vilnius, Lithuania
2011-12
La Colonna Infame, Ariel Soulé and Simon Toparovsky, debut: the Museum of Contemporary Art, St. Petersburg, Russia. Sponsored by the Ministry of Culture of Italy, Rome; the Consul
General of Italy in St. Petersburg, Russia and the Council for Culture of the Province of Milan. Traveling.
2010
A Letter from the Renaissance, Ariel Soulé and Simon Toparovsky. A contemporary art installation for UCLA Library Special Collections, Los Angeles.
2010
Sentieri di Pace, Museo Internazionale d‘Arte Contemporanea, Fondazione Don Tonino Bello, Alessanno Lecce, Italia
2007
Qui, del Dicibile (Here, the Sayable), exhibition sponsorship awarded by the Minister of Culture of Italy: the Superintendent for Fine Art, Naples; the Consulate of the United States, Naples; the Italian
Cultural Institute, Los Angeles.
2006
Evita’s Perfect Fall, installation, a work in four hands with Ariel Soulé, Palazzo del Comune, Teglio-Sondrio, Italy, sponsored by the Assesore alla Cultura.
2006
Castello Ursinio, Catania, Sicily.
2003
La Costituzione Americana, with Ariel Soulé a work in four hands, installation for the 16th century cloister church of San Paolo Converso, Milano: traveling. Catalog of images, historical and
philosophical essays, and poems.
2000-01
International Furniture Design Fair, Milan, Italy; debut of production furniture and furnishings designs: limited edition and one-of-a-kind hand-blown glass lighting fixtures/Andromeda International, Murano; upholstered furniture and hand-woven tables and seating/Vittorio
Bonacina e C., Lurago d’Erba, Como, Italia.
1997
Humanities Research Center, University of Texas, Austin.
1990
Leaning Toward Light, Otis/Parsons North Gallery, artworks and installations, letterpress catalog with essays by Eudorah Moore and Dean Roger Workman, Los Angeles (solo).
1987-90
Eloquent Object, Phillbrook Museum, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Boston Museum of Fine Art; Chicago Art Institute; Virginia Museum of Fine Art; Museums of Modern Art, Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan.
1988
Boston Athenaeum.
1988
Toledo Art Museum, Ohio.
1988
Erasmus Haus, Basel, Switzerland.
1985
University of Chicago.
1985
Dallas Public Library.
1984
Washington Project for the Arts, D.C.
1984
University of California, Los Angeles, Fine Arts Library.
1984
New York Public Library, New York City.
1984
Otis/Parsons Gallery, Los Angeles
1984
Thomas J. Watson Library, Metropolitan Museum, New York.
1983-85
Virginia Museum of Fine Art, Richmond, Virginia.
1983
Neuberger Museum, Purchase, New York.
1982
Pratt Institute, Pratt Graphic Center/Manhattan.
1981
Virginia Museum of Fine Art, Institute of Contemporary Art, Richmond (solo).
1981
Kunstmuseum, Zurich
1981
Cincinnati Museum of Art, Ohio.
1981
Queens Museum, New York.
1981
Princeton University, Graphic Arts Collection, New Jersey.
1980
Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna.
1979
Cooper Union, Houghton Gallery, New York City.
1979
Grolier Club, New York City.
1979
Bibliothèque Nationale, Centre Georges Pompidou (Beaubourg), Museum of Decorative Arts (Palais du Louvre), National Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions, Paris: traveling.
1979
Adelphi University, Fine Arts Library, Garden City, New York (solo)
1979
Wildcliff Museum, New Rochelle, New York.
1978
Craft and Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles.
1977
Center for Book Arts, New York City (solo).
1977
Yale University, Arts of the Book Room, Sterling Library, New Haven
(solo).
selected
exhibitions
2018
“a bon entendeur salut…” 50th anniversary exhibition, works from
the galleryist’s private collection, Palazzo Zamara, Franco Rossi Gallery,
Palazzolo sull’Oglio, Brescia, Italy
2015
Vasi e Corsi, exhibition with themes of Simon Toparovsky:
Vessels and Channels, Palazzo Zamara, Franco Rossi Gallery,
Palazzolo sull’Oglio, Brescia, Italy (solo)
2011
Tabulae, with Ariel Soulé, Palazzo Zamara, Franco Rossi Gallery,
Palazzolo sull’Oglio, Brescia, Italy.
2008
COMBOS, with Ariel Soulé, Palazzo Zamara, Franco Rossi Gallery,
Palazzolo sull’Oglio, Brescia, Italy
2007
Creative Council, Milano, Italy (solo).
2003
Ex Occidente Lux, Palazzo Zamara, Franco Rossi Gallery,
Palazzolo sull’Oglio, Brescia, Italy (solo).
1997
Simon Toparovsky, Chac-Mool Gallery, Los Angeles (solo).
1996-97
Allene La Pides, Santa Fe, New Mexico
1995-97
Ochi Fine Art, Sun Valley and Ketchum, Idaho (solo)
1983
1982
Zoma Gallery, New York City (solo).
1982
Helen Drutt Gallery, Philadelphia (solo).
1981
Forro de Arte Contemporaneo, Mexico City.
1981-82
Kathryn Markel Gallery, New York City.
1979
Galerie Jacques Fivel, Paris (solo)
1979
Fendrick Gallery, Washington, D.C.
selected
collections
Andrea and Carlos Alberini, Beverly Hills
Gruppo Agema, Milano, Italy
AIGA, American Institute of Graphic Arts
Paul Batoon, Los Angeles
Gail Altman and Charles Boswell, Los Angeles
Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral
Archives of the Fine Arts Library, University of California, Los Angeles
Buttons and Ridgie Barton, Napa
Peter Becker, Santa Barbara
Randall Boyd, Los Angeles
Tammy and Winton Boyd, Madison, Wisconsin
Charles Avvampato IV, La Jolla, California
Mario Bertola Brescia, Italy
Giancarlo Bertola, Brescia
Antonia and Mario Bonacina, Lurago d’Erba (Como), Italy
Gianfranco Bonpieri, Milano, Italy
Lauren Grace Brown, St Helena and New York
Gail and Ralph Bryan, La Jolla, California
Kathleen and Robert Burnham, Laguna Beach, California
Matteo Chevellard, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Chamber of Commerce of Greater Los Angeles
Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, New York
Anna and Rafael Corona, Acton and Los Angeles, California
Cleveland Art Institute
Creative Council, Milano, Italy
Andrea Croce, Iseo, Italy
Susan and James Crawford, San Marino, California
Svetlana Darsalia, Mexico City
Megan Dickerson, St. Helena, California
Risa Dimson, New York
Gianni Donatelli, Milano, Italy
Annette Dugan, Venice, California
Helen Williams Drutt, Helen Drutt Gallery, Philadelphia
Jacques Fivel, Galerie Jacques Fivel, Paris, France
Maria Franchi and Bob Torres, St. Helena, California
Randy Franks, Montecito, California
Gary Friedman, Belvedere, California
Getty Research Institute, Special Collections, Getty Center, Los Angeles
Paola Giorgi, Milan, Italy
Terry and Jim Haljun, Los Angeles
Pontus Hulton, Paris, France
Tomaso Kemeni, Milano, Italy
Kohler Co., Kohler, Wisconsin
John Michael Kohler Art Center, Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Beth Laski and Andrew Blankstein, Sherman Oaks, California
Del Kolve and Larry Luchtel, Los Angeles
Elsa and Bill Longhauser, Los Angeles
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebæk, Denmark
Chiara Trento and Jamie Mai, New York
Pavel Markaitis, St. Petersburg, Russia
Elizabeth Mandell, Los Angeles
Erin Martin, St. Helena, California
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
Mills College, Oakland, California
Francesca Fadalti and Marco Mottana, Erba (Como) Italy
Ken Monnens, Napa, California
Moscone Family, Mill Valley, California
Museo Internazionale d‘Arte Contemporanea, Lecce, Italy
Museum of Modern Art, New York City
National Museum of Modern Art, Canberra, Australia
Julie Nakagama, Santa Barbara
Alejandro Nayfeld, Stockholm, Piacenza (IT) and Buenos Aires
Lucinda Newsome, Los Angeles
Otis Art Institute, Los Angeles
Barbara Pascal, Los Angeles
Cynthia and Renato Penna, Naples, Italy
Mason Phelps Collection, La Jolla, California
Massimo Pighizzini, Milano, Italy
Brad Pitt, Malibu
John Plumb, Pasadena
Princeton University, Hope G. Weil Collection
Lynette Prisner and Denise Gentillini, Denver
Patric Reeves, Los Angeles
Carrie and Rick Reiss, Laguna Beach and Yountville, California
Nancy and John Reinisch, Los Angeles
Paul and Paula Reiser, Los Angeles
Tierney and Rick Remick, Jackson Hole, Wyoming
David Rockefeller Collection, New York City
Franco Rossi, Palazzolo sull’Oglio, Brescia, Italy
Gianpaolo Rotondo, Rome, Italy
Francesco Rovati, Milano, Italy
Lever Rukhin, Los Angeles
Ed Ruscha, Los Angeles
Sackner Archive of Visual and Concrete Poetry, Miami Beach
Diane Saeks, San Francisco
Irene and John Scully, Belvedere, California
Linda Seiler, Log Beach, California
Scott Shrader, Los Angeles
Beverly Sills, New York City
Corbin Smith and Paul Desaney, Venice, Cailfornia
Michael Singer, New York City
Smithsonian Institution, Cooper-Hewiit Design Museum, New York
Ariel Soulé, Milan
Sperone Westwater Fisher, New York City
Jim Stafford, San Francisco
Victoria and Timothy Steele, Los Angeles
Studios Milano, Italy
G. Thalhimer Collection, Richmond, Virginia
Robin and Alfredo Trento, Malibu
Trinchero Family Vineyards, St. Helena, California
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Capetown
University of Alberta, Canada
University of California, Los Angeles and Santa Cruz
University of Southern California
University of Texas, Austin, Humanities Research Center
Dianne and Daniel Vapnek, Santa Barbara and New York
Luanne Wells, Malibu, California
Carol and Jim White, Oakville, Napa
The White House
Harold C. Williams, Getty Center, Los Angeles
Frederick R. Weisman Museum, Pepperdine University, Malibu
Yale University, Arts Library Special Collections, New Haven
Virginia Zabriskie, Galerie Zabriskie, Paris, France
Katerina Zacharia, Redondo Beach, California
